Getting Started

Reading through the ELI Conversation Circle survey results and talking with Angelo and Carson have been very helpful in preparing for my second conversation circle. I think one of the most important takeaways I gathered from it was the importance of planning ahead for our meetings. We have discussed that it is important to not force the conversation, and to just let it flow, but I think it would be nice to have some activities planned. Some of the things I saw multiple times in the survey results were playing games such as Apples to Apples, or Taboo, or doing activities with maps, like trying to name all the states in the US on a map. I think things like this will help to get conversation flowing and have people engaged in something rather than feeling like they are just sitting and staring at each other. I think it will be beneficial to discuss this with my participants though and see if it is something they are interested in, or if they do indeed just want to focus on conversation. I enjoyed hearing Angelo and Carson talk about their experiences and some of the other do’s and don’ts and how to handle certain situations. For example, we talked about how participants may often ask about something very generally they consider is American, or what is the American perspective on a certain topic, which can be hard to answer, especially when the topic is broad. You can say "I can’t speak for everyone, but in my opinion...", or "Through the experiences I’ve had, I believe this or that". I think this is important too, because you can never learn the “culture” of a place from only one person, as everyone has different opinions and experiences.

I’m excited to implement these lessons and tips that I have learned from reading and talking with Angelo and Carson. I really enjoyed meeting my group this past week, and am eager to ask them what they think regarding various activities that we could do together. Until next time!